Tiling Glossary – A

Tiling Contractors Glossary.

Abrasion resistance refers to the ability of a tiled surface to resist being worn away by rubbing and friction. The term abrasion resistance relates to the degree of friction a floor tile’s surface will withstand. In other words the amount of foot traffic. The ISO abrasion resistance standards for glazed tiles (ISO 0545-7) classify tile in groups to 5 in accordance with their capacity to resist abrasion.

Absorption.

The relationship of the weight of the water absorbed be a ceramic specimen subjected to prescribed immersion procedure, to the weight of the dry specimen, expressed in percent. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has developed a rating for moisture absorption by tiles. This rating is actually a procedure to test a tile’s permeability to water. It consists of boiling the tile in water and measuring its gain in weight from the original dry state. The water absorption rate is directly related with the suitability of the various types of tile for interior or exterior applications. For exterior applications, the selected tiles must have a very low water absorption rate, especially in climates subjected to rainfall, freezing and thawing cycles. A low water absorption rate also enables a tile to absorb food or beverage stains on a lesser percentage. This is usually a porcelain tile, which has a moisture absorption rating of less than 0.5 %.

Accelerator.

A substance which, when added to concrete, mortar, or grout, increases the rate of hydration of the hydraulic cement, shortens the time of setting, or increases the rate of hardening of strength, development, or both. A mortar Accelerator speeds up set times while increasing early compressive strength. Mortar accelerators contains calcium, but no chlorides. Chlorides, such as the commonly used calcium chloride, promote corrosion in steel, promote efflorescence, and disturb color dispersion in colored concrete or plaster.

Acrylic resin.

Acrylic resins are a group of related thermoplastic or thermosetting plastic substances derived from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid or other related compounds. Poly-methyl acrylate is an acrylic resin used in an emulsed form for lacquer, textile finishes, adhesives and, when mixed with clay, to gloss paper. Another acrylic resin is polymethyl methacrylate, which is used to make hard plastics with various light transmitting properties.

Adhesion.

The state in which two surfaces are held together by interfacial forces which may consist of valence forces or interlocking action, or both. Adhesion is the tendency of dissimilar particles or surfaces to cling to one another. The forces that cause adhesion and cohesion can be divided into several types. The intermolecular forces responsible for the function of various kinds of stickers and sticky tape fall into the categories of chemical adhesion, dispersive adhesion, and diffusive adhesion.

Adhesion, mechanical.

Adhesion between surfaces in which the adhesive holds the parts together by interlocking action.

Adhesion, specific.

Adhesion between surfaces which are held together by valence forces of the same type as those which give rise to cohesion.

Admixture.

A material other than water, aggregates, and hydraulic cement, used as an ingredient of concrete or mortar, and added to the concrete immediately before or during its mixing.

Aggregate.

Granular material, such as sand, gravel, crushed stone, and iron blast-furnace slag, used with a cementing medium to form a hydraulic-cement, concrete or mortar.

Alkali.

A chemical substance which effectively neutralizes acid material so as to form neutral salts. A base. The opposite of acid. Examples are ammonia and caustic soda.